|
|
Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
September 16
Click on verses for Full Scripture
|
previous - - - - - - - - - -
next
|
Today's Pathway:
|
Yesterday we began looking at Paul's discussion of the fact that, if there were no resurrection, he was being very foolish to live as he was living and take the risks that he was facing. Acts 9:23, 24, and 29 give insight into the opposition that Paul was dealing with. These verses state,
"And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him...And they watched the gates day and night to kill him... And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him."
It should be noted that these verses occur in the same chapter which tells us of Paul's conversion. In other words, his life was put at risk almost immediately after he began his public ministry, and yet he continued to serve the Lord. The book of II Corinthians was written approximately one year after I Corinthians. So, one year after writing about being in constant jeopardy, Paul spelled out some of the situations that he had endured:
"In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." ( II Corinthians 11:23-27).
Why was Paul willing to go through these problems? Because he knew that Christ had risen from the dead, and he knew that someday he would rise with a glorified and immortal body and be forever with the Lord in the wonders of the New Heaven and New Earth.
The first phrase of verse 31 seems hard to understand because the word "protest" has changed its meaning over the centuries since the King James Version was translated. The word means "to declare publicly, to testify, to affirm". It would be similar to swearing to the truth of something in a court of law. Sometimes people will say something like this: "I swear on my mother's grave". Paul is "swearing" on the joy that he has in the conversion of the Corinthian believers. Gordon Fee explains:
"What a telling oath this is. To make sure that they understand the truth of his constant facing of death, he swears by that which is dearest to him, their own existence in Christ, which also came about by labors that had exposed him to such dangers."
Paul then adds that he "died daily". This is not talking about a spiritual death to selfishness and the flesh, although Paul certainly made that choice throughout his life. He is saying that every day he expected to be caught and killed for preaching the Gospel. In verse 32 he specifically speaks of fighting with the "beasts of Ephesus". While it is possible that he is referring to be thrown into an arena to face a wild animal, that is probably not what he means, for Paul never mentions it in the verses above from II Corinthians 11, plus the fact that Paul, as a Roman citizen, was legally exempt from this sort of punishment. He is probably referring to the way he was manhandled by the worshipers of Diana in Ephesians in Acts 19:24-41. Whatever incident he is speaking of, he says that it would be foolish to go through all of that if there is no resurrection.
We will continue with this topic tomorrow.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
|
|
You Are Here: 
